Lights on the Santa Monica Pier

I am currently using this photo as my phone wallpaper.

It makes me smile every time I see it.

It was taken last October when we in Los Angeles at the Santa Monica Pier.

I have always liked colourful lights at night!

Must Attend Wealth Education Event - Brisbane - 31 July

I am very excited about this new wealth and finance education event in Brisbane.

It is on Saturday 31 July 2010.



You can click here to register....
http://southerncrosswealthgroup.com.au/wealth-accelerator-event


And this link will lead you to free tickets - normally valued at $397!

So you better get a hurry along!

The Growth of Social Media Networking

If you still think social media such as facebook, twitter, linked-in and the like are just a fad; take a look at the following to make sure you’re not missing out on something bigger than the Industrial Revolution …

Study finds we are more receptive face-to-face

A recent study has found that human contact brings the most happiness to people in an increasingly digital world.

The global study, identifies what happiness means to different nationalities and reveals that, despite the rapid pace of growth in the virtual world, human contact wins hands down when it comes to happiness.

“Our real happiness depends much more on our basic sense of self, and connecting with other people,” said Dr. Stevens, a social psychologist who specializes in happiness and wellbeing.

According to the study, chatting to friends or colleagues (17%) brings more people happiness than watching TV (14%) and connecting with others online (5%).

The Happiness Barometer surveyed 12,500 consumers across four continents, in 16 countries, including, China, Russia, the UK and the US.

Money is Neutral - Character is Not

Here's a thought!

MONEY IS EITHER A GOOD OR BAD INFLUENCE, ACCORDING TO THE CHARACTER OF THE PERSON WHO POSSESSES IT.

It’s true.

Money has no character, no personality, no values.

Its actions only reflect the desires of its owner.

Money can build great hospitals and schools, or it can be gambled away or squandered on meaningless possessions. Money may build museums to house beautiful works of art, it may construct beautiful houses of worship-or it may be used to create instruments of war and destruction.

As you build your personal wealth, make sure you build your character by setting aside a portion of your income to help others. Choose a church, a charity, or a cause that you can enthusiastically support. Then give of your money and your time in support of that cause.

The primary beneficiary of such noble actions is always the one who gives, not the one who receives.

Social Media Post of the Day - @Scrapsister AKA Kerryn Leworthy

This is my Social Media Post of the Day.

It appeared on Kerryn Leworthy's Facebook page this AM

WARNING! I hate it when people post bogus warnings, but this one is real.
Please repost this as your status!!
If someone comes to your front door saying they are checking for ticks due to the warm weather and asks you to take your clothes off and dance around with your arms up, DO NOT DO IT! THIS IS A SCAM!
They only want to see you naked. I wish I'd gotten this yesterday. I feel so stupid....

Life Key - The Power of Activity

Here is a thought....

Activity leads to interest, and interest leads to enthusiasm and ambition.
Conversely, inactivity leads to boredom, and boredom leads to "laziness."

W. Clement Stone often says, "The emotions are not always subject to reason, but they are always subject to action!"

Determine what you are best at and what you like to do, and develop a burning desire to be the best you can be at it. Then get into action!

Inside Hillsong - The LIfe of Brian - Channel 7 Sunday Night Story

If you missed the great story, Inside Hillsong, on Channel 7 last night about Hillsong Church and Brian Houston

another blogger has put it on his site -

click here.

Life Key - The Way of the Tortoise

Steps are a key part of living a great life.  And so is starting.

Today many of you will begin a rewarding journey. Like every journey, it starts with but a single step.

That single step is an important one. It must...



•Start in the right direction.


•Have purpose and motivation. Decide now that you, too, will succeed. 


•Be only the first of many steady steps. This is not a race. Speed kills.

The most important decisions in any business are made early. Take your time and get your first step right. Don't feel you have to "do it all" by tomorrow...


Steady progress wins the day.

"I think the only way to learn is to give it a try" - Sir Richard Branson

Sir Richard Branson is the bearded entrepreneur who, it seems, will do anything to gain publicity for his various enterprises.

Branson says, 'If you sit down with accountants and look at profit and loss projections, they will manage to come up with all sorts of reasons why something will not work well. I think if you have a gut feeling about something, then trial and error can produce the best results. I think the only way to learn is to give it a try.'

It is this very attitude that contributed to his huge success!

What are you going to "give a try" to today?

A Shaft of Light from Igor Stravinsky

"Even when I do not feel like work,



I sit down to it just the same.


I cannot wait for inspiration, and inspiration at best


is a force brought into action by effort."

Igor Stravinsky

 
Seems like HARD WORK is again the key.
 
I had better get back to work!

Arts and Movie Festival - Easter Sunday @Hillsong Church Brisbane

Wow!!! What a great night at the Arts and Movie Festival - Easter Sunday @Hillsong Church Brisbane last night.

And Stan Walker sang the amazing song, I Surrender. 

Here are a few photos I snapped on the iPhone before, during and after the diverse displays and service.

The Easter Monday Sun Rises over the Backyard Tent

And I notice that the moon is still up in the western sky... "Go to
bed, moon!"

Wonderful Weathered Wooden Texture

Sunny Saturday Arvo @ Bribie Island

Camping in the Backyard at Springfield Lakes

We are having a BLAST trying something new as a family this Easter.
The photo tells the story.

The Secret in the Geode - and the Link to New Success

I got this thought hook from a recent email from the Napoleon Hill Foundation.


A CLOSED MIND STUMBLES OVER THE BLESSINGS OF LIFE WITHOUT RECOGNIZING THEM.

To the untrained eye, a geode looks pretty much like an ordinary rock.

But a trained geologist knows that inside the geode there is a beautiful crystal lining.

The story is the same for those who refuse to examine new possibilities because their minds are closed. Life’s greatest opportunities, like the geode, often come in ordinary packaging.

Do not allow yourself to become such a creature of habit that you simply go through the motions and let life happen to you. Just taking a new route to work, putting together a jigsaw puzzle, reading a newspaper instead of watching television, or visiting a museum at lunchtime will stimulate your thought processes and may help you open your mind to new possibilities.

Have a great new week!
and make it a GREAT day today!

Mt Gravatt Mountain Coffee Shop Finally Open

Jethro and I grabbed a coffee today on Mt Gravatt Mountain.

The coffee shop is FINALLY open!

Power Tower in the Sunshine @ Bulimba

I snapped this photo by the Brisbane River yesterday.

Arvo Tea @ the Baxter's Lakehouse @ Loganholme

Check this out for an afternoon tea!!!

And with a view!

My Mind is a Distillery - Paul E Grant

This is a great poem by a real hgero of mine, Paul E Grant.  I have written about him many time sin my blog.

Over to you now, Paul, for another potent poem....

MY MIND IS A DISTILLERY



My mind is a distillery
Separating all kinds of elements,
A depot also, storing deliveries
Of many kinds of rudiments


My mind becomes a clearing house
A kind of encyclopedia
In which I’m challenged to examine
Items from all kinds of media

Daily and hourly, incessantly,
Details invade its capacity,
Each of them demanding attention,
Data of wondrous diversity


God made this amazing organ,
A body-top computer,
Programmed to function for our good
It becomes a kind of tutor


It helps me to distinguish
The important from the trivial,
It also helps me segregate
The evil from the moral


It challenges me to discovery
To exploring things unknown,
To ascertaining accuracy
To accept or to disown

I’ve learned to give priority
To things of enduring worth,
For really and truly we have only
A very little time on earth

So I learn to distil the mysteries
Of God’s wonderful creation,
Best of all the provision
Of his amazing salvation

This world quickly passes away
That which is seen is temporal,
The things I really love to distil
Are the things that are eternal

Paul E. Grant
May 2009

My WEALTH Thinkmap

I have been working with the richness of the word "wealth" recently... and have developed a thinkmap... and got some help from the visual thesaurus people.

Here is it......

How to Approach Your Work Today!

The good book again provides some great wisdom about how to negotiate your work day TODAY.

And after the last season in my life I am very grateful that I have a GREAT job!

Here goes:

Don't give up your job when your boss gets angry. If you stay calm, you'll be forgiven.

Ecclesiastes 10:4 (CEV)


A lazy employee will give you nothing but trouble; it's vinegar in the mouth, smoke in the eyes.
Proverbs 10:26 (MSG)


Bad work gets paid with a bad cheque; good work gets solid pay.
Proverbs 11:18 (MSG)


The diligent find freedom in their work; the lazy are oppressed by work.
Proverbs 12:24 (MSG)


Hard work always pays off; mere talk puts no bread on the table.
Proverbs 14:23 (MSG)


Diligent work gets a warm commendation; shiftless work earns an angry rebuke.
Proverbs 14:35 (MSG)


Put God in charge of your work, then what you've planned will take place.
Proverbs 16:3 (MSG)


Slack habits and sloppy work are as bad as vandalism.
Proverbs 18:9 (MSG)


Blockheads shouldn't live on easy street any more than workers should give orders to their boss.
Proverbs 19:10 (MSG)


If you care for your orchard, you'll enjoy its fruit; if you honour your boss, you'll be honoured.
Proverbs 27:18 (MSG)


Committed and persistent work pays off; get-rich-quick schemes are ripoffs.
Proverbs 28:20 (MSG)


Hard and honest work earns a good night's sleep...
Ecclesiastes 5:12 (MSG)


Yes, we should make the most of what God gives, both the bounty and the capacity to enjoy it, accepting what's given and delighting in the work. It's God's gift!
Ecclesiastes 5:19 (MSG)

Character Isn't and Is .....

Character isn’t something you were born with and can’t change, like your fingerprints.
It’s something you weren’t born with and must take responsibility for forming.”


— Jim Rohn: Entrepreneur, Author and Speaker

Book Publishing Myths - Dale Beaumont

In the last view weeks I have been devouring Dale Beaumont's material getting ready to write my first book.

Here is a sample of one of his punchy motivation video clips from his YouTube site

Over to you, Dale



If the video does not pop up in auto click the link here.

Dale Beaumont is a best-selling author, international speaker and creator of the 'Secrets Exposed' series.

Dale's career began at the age of nineteen when he co-wrote his first book titled: "The World at your Feet". Since then, Dale has run self-development and life-skills programs for over 15,000 young people across four countries.

In 2005 he created the 'Secrets Exposed!' series; a selection of books that takes you up-close and personal with hundreds of Australasia's most successful people, in a range of topic areas.

To-date a total of fifteen Secrets Exposed book have been successfully released into bookstores and over 250,000 Secrets Exposed books are now in print. The series is now sold across Australia and throughout South-East Asia receiving exceptional feedback from readers everywhere.

Dale has been interviewed on Sunrise, Today Show, Mornings with Kerri-Anne, ABC Radio, Radio 2UE and well as being featured in over one hundred newspapers and magazines, including Wealth Creator, My Business, AFR Boss and Virgins In-flight magazine.

How to Set Your Kids Up For Success!

I was inspired by this quote that I found recently

"A man who gives his children HABITS of INDUSTRY provides for them BETTER than by giving them fortune."

Richard Whately

This adds to some other great biblical wisdom:

Discipline your children; you'll be glad you did— they'll turn out delightful to live with.

Proverbs 29:17 (MSG)

Our children and their children will get in on this as the word is passed along from parent to child.

Psalms 22:30 (MSG)
What are some of the valuable "habits of industry" that you have taught your children?

Can You Give GOD a Loan of Money?

Some of you saw me write this during the week on Twitter - but the thought is still sticking with me.

Can You Give GOD a Loan of Money?

Proverbs 19:17 says you can.

Mercy to the needy is a loan to God, and God pays back those loans in full.

Proverbs 19:17 (MSG)

Jill and I gave $32 this week to the Christian Blind Mission.  We just had to when we heard their story. 

$32 and a 10 minute operation restores someone's sight.  That's a MIRACLE.  We both have glasses, but that is nothing compared to a lifetime of blindness.

That's an INVESTMENT in mercy.

Change Schizophrenia - My Head Says "Yes" & My Heart Says "No"

Lee Colan wrote something great recently.......

As humans, it seems like we are hard-wired for comfort. As a result, change does not come easily. As the saying goes, "Change is like rain. Everyone knows it's good for you, but nobody wants to get wet."



We resist change so much because we overestimate the value of what we are clinging to and underestimate the value of what we are moving toward. Sometimes, we need to turn our world upside down to see a new perspective.

Good one, Lee.

This is a short post because I need you to think about this for a bit again...

"we overestimate the value of what we are clinging to
& underestimate the value of what we are moving toward."

Is this how you see it?

I would be very INTERESTED if this is YOUR experience!
 
Have a think about it and post a COMMENT - thanks. 

Which President Makes Me the Most Money - Great Question but the Wrong Question

I really enjoyed this recent article from Dave Ramsey about investment returns under various US Presidents. 

Here is a snapshot....

The truth is, investment success depends more on the resilience of the U.S. economy and your dedication to a long-term goal than on which candidate or party is in the White House.


Presidential Performance


For fun, let's say you made a hypothetical investment in the first year of each president's term. Ten years later, what kind of average annual return could you expect for investments made under the different administrations?

Good question. Let's start with President Bill Clinton. During his tenure, the economy experienced phenomenal growth, so you would expect a stellar average annual return. Ten years after Clinton took office, the S&P 500 was averaging 12.5% returns each year. Annual returns averaged 10.1% after his second term.


Now, let's look at President Jimmy Carter. His term saw the energy crisis and a tough recession—not the best and brightest of times. But the average annual return 10 years after he took office was16.4%, topping performance during Clinton's administration by several points.


The best 10-year average annual return occurred after President Ronald Reagan took office—17.4%. The worst was 4.8% after President Richard Nixon's first term.


Remember you can read the full article here.

You Must Get Busy Doing Something About Going the Extra Mile!

I really enjoyed this thought recently from the Napoleon Hill Foundation.

It’s well and good to feel as though you have changed the attitude with which you render extra service, but if that service is in truth no more than anyone else’s, then you aren’t doing yourself much good. You need to examine your co-workers and competitors to understand just what it is that will make you stand out.

If there are job performance standards, exceed them. If you’re fulfilling a contract, make sure you offer more than you promised. You cannot confine extra-mile service to your work alone. You must make it part of your philosophy for dealing with every person you encounter.

Imagine how others will be delighted to find that you are the type of person who not only does what is promised but even delivers more. The true benefit of going the extra mile is in teaching yourself to strive always for better and greater achievement in all that you do.

SO.....  YOU MUST GET BUSY DOING SOMETHING ABOUT GOING THE EXTRA MILE.

A man’s ledger does not tell ______________

I really enjoyed this POTENT quote:

A man’s ledger does not tell what he is, or what he is WORTH.
Count what is IN man, not what is ON him, if you would know what he is worth-whether rich or poor.



-- Henry Ward Beecher

What do you reckon you are worth?  Just a thought!

Wisdom from an Entreprenuer - Peter J. Daniels

I first heard Peter Daniels speak in approx 1984 as a young man.  He made a big impact on my life.  I think he may have been the first Christian entreprenuer I heard. 

Peter J. Daniels came from the other side of the tracks with every reason to become a victim and statistic of life. Yet, he chose to go the other direction becoming a success story. As you watch, you will remove all your reasonings and handicaps to move forward in becoming what you were created to be.


Click the link here to view part 1 of one of his keynote addresses. 

Have You Got "A Mind to Succeed" - A Great New Book by @stevepenny

I have just been sent a copy of the new Steve Penny book, "A Mind to Succeed."

And it is VERY HARD to put down!

Check out some these quotes:

Success comes from the inside

Success comes from successful habits
Your thoughts are building your world
Everything you presently are – you built
What you think, you are
You will instinctively choose to walk in the direction of your dominant thoughts

Here are some more:

What you consistently think about will produce spontaneous actions

Your thoughts control everything you do
Thoughts are the language of your inner world
Thoughts are God’s way of communicating with us from His eternity

You can check out Steve here - http://www.stevepenny.org/

And his books are here with an online shopping cart - http://www.stevepenny.org/products-page/

Your mind is greatest untamed frontier of humanity. So many of us want to live a life of success, but we think success comes from the outside. Learn how to live from your inner world out – rather than from your outer world in – and discover the ETERNAL PLAN for you. Your life here on Earth will only be fulfilled once you gain control of your inner world.



Your mental attitude is the X factor that determines your destiny. You can’t improve your outer world until you’ve renovated your inner world. When you control your mind, you control the way you live. When you renew your mind from wrong thinking, a whole new way of living begins to materialize before your eyes.


This book reveals simple steps that will show you how to bring your thoughts into subjections to your will. You can control your thoughts. You can enjoy a life full of, love, joy and peace.


So make up your mind today that you want to be in control of the real you – your mind. Take the first step now to change your mind… to change your world!

How You Can Say "I am the Greatest!" - Muhammad Ali

World champion boxer Muhammad Ali was asked "what would you do if you were not a boxer?"

He replied, "If I was a garbage man I would be the best garbage man in the world."

If you are wildly passionate about becoming the best then you will always be looked after.

Over to you, go now and be the best at what you are doing!

PS - here is a clue - it will cost you/require and investment!

How to Really Connect - Using The Conversation Prism - Brian Solis

If you want to be more effective as a communicator or you are wanting to understand the strategic impact of social media then this post is for YOU!

I came across this very useful model recently called The Conversation Prism developed by Brian Solis.

It is all about the "art of listening, learning and sharing.

It is well worth clicking on this image and having a very close look at the diverse components.

Solis notes that "understanding that the Social Web is far more extensive than Twitter, blogs, and Facebook.... brand managers search across the entire Web using listening services or the methodologies rife within the Conversation Prism to locate where influential dialogue transpires."

You can check more about the Conversation Prism here - http://theconversationprism.com/

I Haven't Seen BOM Radar Look Like This for Awhile!

SE Qld is blanketed by rain - I like to see that!

The "Why" and "How" of 2010 being THE Year for Social Media

This post will really help you ride the wave of social media and understand what you can do now.

Interested?  Well then read on.

I was reading an article recently by Brian Solis.  He said this:

2010 is designated as the year Social Media proliferates mainstream businesses. Indeed this year will showcase the transformation of business acumen while also shifting the culture and the communication that embraces an inward and outward flow for listening, interacting, learning, and adapting.



Social Media Marketing is exhilarating to behold as it evolves “media” from a broadcast platform to a sophisticated network of connections and rewarding engagement. We learn that through participation, we ultimately eradicate the myths that initially fueled skeptics and prevented early experimentation. The perceived loss of control was in actuality, the ability to realize public sentiment and the gatekeepers who could help us actively steer perception. It is a chance to actually gain control rather than simply possessing the illusion of it.

As 2009 raced to an end, Social Media marketers realized that listening to the proverbial conversation offered very little in terms of influence. In fact, it was the listening that would eventually set the stage for intelligent participation.

 It was the realization that listening would only engender empathy. But, in order to truly shape and guide market sentiment and hopefully one day empower advocacy and a new workflow, a supporting infrastructure would require construction.

We are only as relevant as our ability to not only realize the state of affairs, but also have the prowess necessary to define and also adapt along with it.


The next stage of Social Media Marketing will mature from one of listening and unguided participation to one of strategic observation, analysis and informed engagement. It is how we can shift from a state of awareness to one of intelligence, setting the stage for relevance and affinity. It is a new age of “unmarketing” inspired by purpose and vision.

As Social Media evolves, behavior and intention modifies, mirroring the depth of learning and confidence that develops with experience. In New Media, we are always learning and as such, we are forever in pursuit of the next stage.

Brian then goes on to write about The 10 Stages of Social Media Integration in Business.
 
Click here to keep on reading and get the "gold."
 
The Conversation Prism in stage 4 is well worth looking at!
 
I'll also do a blog post about tomorrow.

10 Really Useful Blogging Tips

I did a blog post back in August 2009 about "10 Blogging Tips."

You can click the link here
or click on this link http://andrewstaggs.blogspot.com/2009/08/10-blog-tips-mark-batterson.html

Why I Blog

I am talking to a group of pastors Tuesday night about social media and social networking.  I will put some resources up on the blog to help them along a bit.

So here goes!

Here is a post I did August 2009 called "Why I Blog". 

Click the link here to read it or
click this link http://andrewstaggs.blogspot.com/2009/08/why-i-blog-mark-batterson.html

If Ever A Picture Was Worth 1000 Words...

If Ever A Picture Was Worth 1000 Words...

So how is your day going?

Email Sanity - How to Clear Your Inbox Before You DROWN In It - Leo Babauta

The following article was written by Leo Babauta..

The beauty of an empty inbox is a thing to behold.

It is calming, peaceful and wonderful.

An inbox that is overflowing with actions, calls for responses, stuff to read ... it's chaos, it's stressful, it's overwhelming.

A friend recently posted: "Help! I'm drowning in email!"

Let's look at how to get your head above water first, and then how to get safely to dry land.

Head Above Water

You need to give yourself some breathing room. A flooded inbox is overwhelming, and you don't know where to start. So here's where we're going to start:

1. Create an "actions" folder or label in your email system. This is where you're going to store any emails that you need to take action on (other than just replying or filing or whatever).

2. Pick the most important. Go through your inbox and check off 10-15 that are the most urgent action emails, and file them in this new folder. If you don't get to the sections below right away, you can at least work from this folder for now.

Social Media Strategies - Social Networks - Giovanni Gallucci

I have been recently watching the work of Giovanni Gallucci on You Tube - his account is here http://www.youtube.com/user/ggallucci

He did 3 short video training clips about Social Networks which people might find useful.
They will also be useful to the people I have been asked to talk to about social media and networks on Tuesday night. 

The 3 links to the clips are located below.  Over to you now Giovanni!







(if you are viewing this post in my Facebook notes section and cannot see the clips click on the "original post" option at the very bottom)

Wearing the "Right" Hat - Six Thinking Hats (R) - Dr. Edward de Bono

I was reflecting recently on the powerful work done by Dr. Edward de Bono and his Six Thinking Hats (R).


Imagine it. Your team has the skills and techniques they need to make the best decision.
Fast. Smart. Efficient.



It's not impossible.

 Dr. Edward de Bono's Six Thinking Hats® is a simple, effective technique that helps them become more productive. You and your team members can learn how to separate thinking into six distinct categories. Each category is identified with its own colored metaphorical "thinking hat." By mentally wearing and switching "hats," you can easily focus or redirect thoughts, the conversation, or the meeting.


The difference between brilliant and mediocre teams isn't so much in their collective mental capacity, but in how well they can tap into their collective wisdom and how well they function together. After your team learns the skills behind the Six Thinking Hats® system they'll:


• Hold critical meetings without emotions or egos making bad decisions


• Avoid the easy but mediocre decisions by knowing how to dig deeper


• Increase productivity and even more important -- be more effective


• Make creative solutions the norm


• Maximize and organize each person's thoughts and ideas


• Get to the right solution quickly and with a shared vision

The Six Thinking Hats (or modes)


You can read more about Six Thinking Hats (R) here  http://www.debonothinkingsystems.com/tools/6hats.htm


Which hat do you tend to gravite to?

Marketing Wisdom from @malfletcher on Twitter

Here is a snappy summary from @malfletcher on Twitter.

This is great wisdom:

In #marketing you can either interrupt total strangers or win permission to speak from friends

Get past ppl's mental #spam filter: 1)be relevant to NOW 2)invite feedback/ideas 3)add a SPECIFIC kind of value

Get past ppl's mental #spam filter: 4)open up decision-mkg 5)affirm how ppl's ind/l gifts can meet a wider need

You can check out more from the London-based Mal Fletcher on his website http://2020plus.net

How do you get "Raving Fans?"

Ken Blanchard, author of the One Minute Manager, has written a book entitled, “Raving Fans – A Revolutionary Approach to Customer Service.”

A summary of Blanchard’s three secrets to developing “raving fans” is below.


3 Secrets To Developing Raving Fans

1. Decide on a very clear vision.

Have a very clear picture, a clear vision of the ideal. The ideal is the clear future you envision. Make sure this ideal is centered on the people you serve.

2. Discover what the customer needs.

Discover what the people you serve want and need, and then fill in the gaps from your vision. You will only discover what the people you serve want, in small nuggets. Everyone you meet has a different focus and need, a bit. Fit that into your own vision. If you meet people’s needs, you will never lack customers. For those people who you just can't satisfy, quickly learn emotionally to let them go.

3. Discover what the customer needs -- deliver plus one percent!

After you discover what the people you serve want and need, then deliver, plus one percent! The rule of one percent is to just keep on consistently improving what you do, one percent at a time. Go the extra mile in your service, and you will never lack for a crowd of “raving fans.”

Warner guides Aussies to Twenty20 win - from ninemsn

This article appears in wwos.ninemsn.com.au and I thought you should see it.
http://wwos.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=1016283

If you cannot click on the link above, copy and paste the entire address below into your web browser.
http://wwos.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=1016283

For all the latest news around the globe, check out ninemsn.
http://ninemsn.com.au

You are a Marketer, not a just a Product/Service Provider

Here is a great business key -  to continue to grow your business you have to realize this important fact: you are a marketer, not a just a product/service provider. 

Let me quickly show you the difference between a marketer and a product/service provider.


A Product/Service Provider:

Has products and services

Talked to prospects

Has customers

Owns a business

Hopes they'll stay in business


A Marketer:

Sells products and services

Continually talks to a list of prospects

Builds relationships with customers

Grows their business

Is building their business future

 
See the difference?

Have You Thought About Your Environment? It's Linked to Your FUTURE!

If my thinking determines the course of my life, then what does my environment predict about my future?

Check out this quote.... and do the maths:

We begin to see, therefore, the importance of selecting our environment with the greatest of care, because environment is the mental feeding ground out of which the food that goes into our minds is extracted - Napoleon Hill

my environment influences my thinking = my future.

Do you need to change anything?  Seriously!

Napoleon Hill Quotes - Selection #3

Here is my selction #3 of Napoleon Hill quotes:

We begin to see, therefore, the importance of selecting our environment with the greatest of care, because environment is the mental feeding ground out of which the food that goes into our minds is extracted.



When defeat comes, accept it as a signal that your plans are not sound, rebuild those plans, and set sail once more toward your coveted goal.

When your desires are strong enough you will appear to possess superhuman powers to achieve.


Wise men, when in doubt whether to speak or to keep quiet, give themselves the benefit of the doubt, and remain silent.

You can start right where you stand and apply the habit of going the extra mile by rendering more service and better service than you are now being paid for.

You give before you get.

Do you have a favourite?

How's Your Stretch? Because It's Linked to Your Effectiveness!

I came across this great Steve Penny quote in one of my blog posts from 2009

"I find that a leader must reinvent themselves at least every 7 years and do the same with their team to continue going forward and expanding."

Nice one

You can read my full blog entry from July 2009 here.

Napoleon Hill Quotes - Selection #2

I recently did a post on Napolean Hill - described by many as one of the earliest producers of the modern genre of personal-success literature. His most famous work, Think and Grow Rich, is one of the best-selling books of all time.

Here is my selection #2 of Napoleon Hill quotes:

Big pay and little responsibility are circumstances seldom found together.



Cherish your visions and your dreams as they are the children of your soul, the blueprints of your ultimate achievements.

Create a definite plan for carrying out your desire and begin at once, whether you ready or not, to put this plan into action.


Desire is the starting point of all achievement, not a hope, not a wish, but a keen pulsating desire which transcends everything.

Don't wait. The time will never be just right.


Edison failed 10, 000 times before he made the electric light. Do not be discouraged if you fail a few times.

Have You Got a Life? Or Even a Clue of Where you Would Like to Go?

Everything first begins as an idea.


You have to develop a dream of what you really want.

We create everything twice. First in our head and then physically. First we imagine, then we do.

I heard a story of someone who met billionaire, Rupert Murdoch for lunch, and they asked him what his original vision was. Murdoch replied that he literally imagined holding a globe of the world in his hand and his message spreading to every corner of that globe. This was the beginning of his huge media company.

Vision precedes goals. You have to have a big vision before you set a goal.

Developing a clear vision is so powerful.

1.  Do you dream of the future and see possibilities for yourself and your work?
2.  Can you see it clearly

Napoleon Hill - Success Linked to the Power of Personal Beliefs

I have been inspired for some time by the writings of Napoleon Hill. 

You may have heard of some of his powerful quotes:

A goal is a dream with a deadline.


Action is the real measure of intelligence.


All achievements, all earned riches, have their beginning in an idea.

All the breaks you need in life wait within your imagination, Imagination is the workshop of your mind, capable of turning mind energy into accomplishment and wealth.


Any idea, plan, or purpose may be placed in the mind through repetition of thought.


Think and grow rich.

Here is some of what Wikipedia says about him:

Napoleon Hill (October 26, 1883 – November 8, 1970) was an American author who was one of the earliest producers of the modern genre of personal-success literature. His most famous work, Think and Grow Rich, is one of the best-selling books of all time. Hill's works examined the power of personal beliefs, and the role they play in personal success. He became the advisor to President Franklin D. Roosevelt from 1933-36. "What the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve" is one of Hill's hallmark expressions.[1][2] How achievement actually occurs, and a formula for it that puts success in reach for the average person, were the focal points of Hill's books.

Hill later called his personal success teachings "The Philosophy of Achievement" and he considered freedom, democracy, capitalism, and harmony to be important contributing elements. For without these foundations to build upon, Hill claimed throughout his writings, successful personal achievements are not possible. He contrasted his philosophy with others, and thought Achievement was superior and responsible for the success Americans enjoyed for the better part of two centuries. Negative emotions, fear and selfishness among others, had no part to play in his philosophy, and Hill considered them to be the source of failure for unsuccessful people.[7]

4 Types of Clutter that You MUST Strive to Keep out of Your Life

Yesterday I exposed the enemy of Being Organised and Effective - the enemy of being organised is CLUTTER!!

I said that I would identify 4 types of clutter that you must strive to keep out of your life.

Well, here they are!

The benefit is that you will be much better able to concentrate on that which you do best.


1. Emotional clutter.

This is the relational baggage that can accumulate when we don't forgive those who have wronged us, when we hold a grudge, or when we carry a chip on our shoulder because of a grievance long past. The price of holding on to emotional clutter is too high. Not only will it steal energy from your focus, but it has serious emotional and spiritual consequences as well.

Exposed! The Enemy of Being Organised and Effective

The enemy of being organised is CLUTTER!!


One of the common denominators of successful people is a single-minded focus that allows them to concentrate on first things first.

Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote in "The Conduct of Life",

"Concentration is the secret of strength in politics, in war, in trade, in short, in all of human affairs."

While many people squander their physical and mental abilities, successful people learn how to focus, concentrate, persist and be organised.

Yet even those with a clear sense of purpose sometimes lose their focus and their ability to concentrate on priorities. Why? I've found it is usually the result of too much internal clutter.

I've identified 4 types of clutter that you must strive to keep out of your life. The benefit is that you will be much better able to concentrate on that which you do best.

Stay tuned in my next post tomorrow morning.

The Top 10 Time Wasters - Get out the Blowtorch!

The Top Ten Time Wasters


According to a Priority Management Systems survey

1. Shifting priorities.


2. Telephone interruptions.


3. Lack of direction/objectives.


4. Attempting too much.


5. Drop-in visitors.


6. Ineffective delegation.


7. Cluttered desk/losing things.


8. Procrastination/lack of self-discipline.


9. Inability to say "no".


10. Meetings.

Of these 10 which one/ones are an issue for you right now?

Planning Needs Wisdom - Better Get Some Here!

20 Bible Verses to Dwell on When Engaged in Planning


Note what God's initiative appears to be and what responsibility He seems to expect from us in planning.

1. I will instruct you and teach you the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you. Psalm 32:8


2. For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11


3. Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed. Proverbs 16:3


4. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish and it shall be done for you. John 15:7


5. Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort? Galatians 3:36


6. For the Lord watches over all the plans and paths of godly men, but the paths of the godless lead to doom. Psalm 1:6


7. May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed. Psalm 20:4

r2r - A New Era in Workplace Flexibility

I recently came across some info about this new concept - effective 1 January 2010.

There isn't just one definition of workplace flexibility, because it means different things to different people.


Basically, flexibility is about an employee and an employer making changes to when, where and how a person will work to better meet individual and business needs.

While the basic concept stays the same, it's the type of flexibility which makes the difference.

Essentially, flexibility enables both individual and business needs to be met through making changes to the time (when), location (where) and manner (how) in which an employee works. Flexibility should be mutually beneficial to both the employer and employee and result in superior outcomes.


What are flexible work practices?


There are a range of creative and practical ways to change when, where and how work is organised:

When people work:


Flexible working hours - altering the start and finish times of a working day, but maintaining the same number of hours worked per week (for example, 8am to 4pm instead of 9am to 5pm). It can also mean condensing standard hours per week into fewer days (for example, four days per week at ten hours per day).


Part-time work - generally speaking, working fewer than the standard weekly hours. For example, two days per week, 10 days over four weeks or two days one week and three days every second week.


Variable year employment - changing work hours over the month or through the year, depending on the demands of the job (for example working more hours during busy periods and taking time off in quiet times).

Peacemaker - Greg Ferguson

I awoke this morning with this great song in my heart.
I heard Greg Ferguson sing it in 2004 when I was at Willow Creek Church in Chicago.



If the above link does not load properly you can always click this link

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0jre1DlOcU

Here are some of the lyrics:

Peace Maker - Greg Ferguson

Peacemaker, Fear Taker, Soul Soother, Storm Smoother
Light Shiner, Lost Finder, Cloud Lifter, Deliverer,
Heart Toucher, Truth Lover,
Who other could be Fear taker, Peacemaker to me,

Mind Clearer, Sigh Healer, Hand Holder, Consolor,
Wound Binder, Tear Dryer, Strength Giver, Provider,
Heart Healer, Kind Father,
Who other could be, My Saviour, Peacemaker to me,